Biblical Self-Careናሙና

Biblical Self-Care (Part 1)

Four out of the five pastors at my church recently admitted (and gave me permission to tell you) that they almost didn’t make it. “I was working at least 70+ hours per week (sometimes a lot more). I was tired, stressed, and constantly distracted.” “I was overly committed, putting in 60-70+ hours. High blood pressure. Apathy toward work.” “My wife and group of close friends had an intervention, which was the reason I’m probably still in ministry, by God’s grace.”

Can you relate? Maybe you’re juggling a dozen responsibilities right now—trying to be a good spouse and a good parent and a good daughter and a good church member and a good friend and a good __________, leaving you so busy you fall asleep as soon as you sit down. Or maybe these feelings are foreign to you. You’ve never worked a 60-hour week in your life, and you prioritize your mental health to the point of keeping your distance from stressful jobs, tough bosses, and frustrating coworkers. This all falls under the modern idea of “self-care,” the tension of caring for your own physical needs without becoming overly selfish and soft.

In the days to come, I want to help you balance the hard work that God wants and the needed rest that God gives, a rhythm that the Father made you for, Jesus saved you for, and the Spirit is working toward. As Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).